Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fremont, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,943 in Fremont, CA, rent and utilities included – about $32,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

191

Cost of Living Index in Fremont, CA
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Fremont, CA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Fremont, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,943

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fremont, CA and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fremont, CA and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,943 per month in Fremont, CA vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Fremont, CA $3,943
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $5,575 per month in Fremont, CA vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Fremont, CA $5,575
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $7,207 per month in Fremont, CA vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Fremont, CA $7,207
Phuket $3,154

Fremont, CA costs about 209% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fremont, CA sits 190% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 $19.75

$4.47 ฿151

341.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$32.41 ฿1,094

135.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$8.81 ฿297

37.34%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$2.83 ฿95.5

97.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.87 ฿29.43

203.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.49 ฿16.67

379.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.98 $8.98

$2.56 ฿86.4

250.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.08 $10.08

$3.68 ฿124

173.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.66 ฿56.0

-6.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.46 ฿49.35

197.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.50 ฿50.6

179.33%

Eggs

$6.39 $6.39

$2.09 ฿70.5

205.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 $19.34

$19.07 ฿644

1.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$3.30 ฿111

332.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$10.91 ฿368

64.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.93 ฿99.0

77.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.69 ฿57.1

15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.25 ฿75.8

137.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$2.08 ฿70.1

168.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.51 ฿51.0

130.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.38 ฿46.56

119.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.07 ฿35.99

126.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.52 ฿17.52

371.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$4.20 ฿142

178.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.34 $15.34

$18.79 ฿634

-18.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.82 ฿61.5

13.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.84 ฿95.9

18.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.45 ฿49.03

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.7 $91.7

$56.7 ฿1,913

61.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.02 ฿102

18.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.02 ฿34.36

200.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.75 $29.75

$3.69 ฿125

706.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.47 ฿49.81

7.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.0K $31.0K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

15.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

1.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$368 $368

$96.4 ฿3,254

282.17%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$42.29 $42.29

$11.26 ฿380

275.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.9 $83.9

$16.85 ฿569

397.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 $36.36

$67.2 ฿2,270

-45.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.28 $8.28

$10.73 ฿362

-22.83%

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 $16.54

$7.50 ฿253

120.53%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,838 $1,838

$476 ฿16.1K

286.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

260.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$62.4 ฿2,106

-4.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$28.41 ฿959

77.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$94.3 ฿3,184

-3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$85.8 ฿2,898

39.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,004 $3,004

$716 ฿24.2K

319.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 $2,291

$491 ฿16.6K

366.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,727 $4,727

$1,927 ฿65.1K

145.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,780 $3,780

$1,431 ฿48.3K

164.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K $10.5K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

152.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,279 $7,279

$3,045 ฿102.8K

139.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,829 $7,829

$502 ฿17.0K

1458.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Fremont, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fremont, CA

$2.3K 58.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 78.6% $1.8K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fremont, CA

$494 12.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 74.8% $370

Groceries & Markets

Fremont, CA

$475 12%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 43.9% $209

Eating Out

Fremont, CA

$346 8.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 64.9% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Fremont, CA

$144 3.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 15.5% $22

Getting Around

Fremont, CA

$122 3.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 42.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Fremont, CA

$69 1.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 18.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,004 in Fremont, CA versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Fremont, CA are about 16 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Fremont, CA versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $475 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fremont, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

05:54 5:54 AM

14 h ahead of Fremont, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,110

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fremont, CA Phuket 13,450 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Fremont, CA
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Fremont, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fremont, CA is pricier by about 209%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,914 per month in Fremont, CA and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $3,004 in Fremont, CA.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,838 per month in Fremont, CA and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Fremont, CA at $3,943. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fremont, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fremont, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.